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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. tube — a container
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. tube — the underground
  7. bank — for money
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. craft — a skill
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. fork — in a road
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. craft — boats
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. wake — a trail
  17. bank — for money
  18. lie — to recline
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. bank — of a river

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com